Never Grow Up
by aussiebabe290
Summary: AU. Oneshot. Ruby Louise had so much ahead of her, so much to look forward to, but her big sister Rachel had one wish. That she never grew up, never having to deal with the trials life threw at you.


**Its not exactly a song fic, but its based on Taylor Swift's 'Never Grow Up' from the album 'Speak Now'. I got it for Christmas, and decided that a oneshot was a must. Read and review!**

**Rhyleigh xoxox**

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Rachel Rafter smiled, as her little sister's hand curled around her own, as Ruby battled the slumber threatening to take over. The little girl's eyelids fluttered, as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

"You're so little", Rachel whispered, rocking her gently.

At five years old, Ruby completely idolised her older siblings- all more than twenty years older than her. Rachel especially- she was her big sister, after all. Babysitting was a job that Julie and Dave had always willingly handed over to their older children, and that night Rachel had taken the job. Her husband was away for the weekend, and her own children were at their other grandmother's house, leaving the night free to spend with her sister.

Closing her eyes, little Ruby Louise succumbed to the sleep that had been hanging around for quite a while, while her older sister chuckled gently. Whenever they had the whole family over (and that was quite frequently), Ruby would try her hardest to stay awake to play with the older Rafter children, while more often than not her nieces and nephew fell asleep.

"Come on, miss". Rachel hoisted the sleeping child onto her hip, lifting her off the lounge and carrying her into the bedroom that had once been her younger brother Nathan's. Five years earlier, however, he had moved out and painted over the blue with pale pink, making it a room fit for a princess.

"I wish you could stay this little", Rachel whispered, pressing a kiss to her sister's head and flicking on the night light beside the bed (a bright pink heart that her brother Ben had bought when Ruby turned four- when the monsters came out at night).

To Ruby, life was a great big game. Young enough to climb into peoples' laps for cuddles, old enough not to be carried around. She was playful and silly, and the little girl that everyone adored.

Rachel had made a promise, the day that she and her brothers were appointed guardian of Ruby. She had promised to always be there for her little sister, not to let anyone hurt her. And, as long as she lived, she would keep that promise.

She could hardly fathom a day, where her little sister would not be so little. But, in the back of her mind, she could see the young girl, in the car, their mother driving her to the cinema ten minutes from their house. In that picture, she may have been a teenager, but Rachel knew that Ruby would never grow out of certain habits. Dancing around in her pyjamas, singing at the top of her lungs while she got ready for school in the morning, for example.

Some days, Rachel mused, she wished that her life was as simple as her sister's. ruby was the most carefree child she knew, who valued the simple things in life. There was no mistaking the joy in her voice, when she realised that Dave was home from work in the afternoon. She loved her bedroom, telling all of her friends that visited that her big brother Nathan painted it just for her.

What she didn't know was that one day; all of it could be gone.

Rachel had thought she would never grow up, when she was Ruby's age. Eighteen and university seemed so long away, in the eyes of a five year old. But she had wanted to grow up, and it was that that sped it up.

She would never forget the day that she moved out of home, into her own new apartment. Her parents had helped her move out of their house, promising that her bedroom would be there whenever she needed it. Rachel had scoffed and assured them that she wouldn't, and had jumped into her car, eager to start the new step in her life.

But she hadn't realised just how lonely her apartment would be, in comparison to the house she had grown up in. there was not the comfort of her parents' voices in the other room, her younger brothers arguing down the hall. The purple paint she had chosen especially for her bedroom walls was no longer, as she found herself tucking herself into bed at night.

It was at that very moment that she had wished she was still little, still young enough to crawl into her mother's lap and stay there, as the noises of the city did nothing to help her sleep.

Ruby had so much ahead of her, but Rachel knew, once she reached them, she would want to be five once more.

"Never grow up", she repeated, planting one more kiss on her sister's head and leaving the door ajar…

Just in case the monsters came.


End file.
